Jimquisition: Nintendo of America

[I forgot]

I like it that for once, someone criticized a subsidiary rather than the broad company. I hate it when people blame Nintendo for something that only their subsidiaries are responsible for. Nintendo of Europe is responsible for European localization, NOA for American, etc., etc. So if a game isn't localized, like Mother 3, that's not Nintendo's fault but their subsidiaries whose decision it is to localize and publish them.

So if I run a company with separate branches and one of the branches make a very bad decision, should I just say "Oh well, not my problem"?

Nintendo of Japan can overrule Nintendo of America and if it doesn't, then it is as much to blame as NOA is. You think Reggie got his job without the approval of Nintendo of Japan?

No, if I run a company with separate branches, I'd expect them to do their job while I do mine. Much like the developers expect publishers and marketers to do their jobs.

Yes but when one branch doesn't do it's job, would you sit on your hands or would you (as the head of the company) make changes?

Nintendo of Japan has the last word so a bad decision make by NOA but not reversed by NOJ still falls on both of their shoulders, not just NOA.

Obviously, that depends. If it was the internal teams developing games not doing their jobs, certainly so but this is localization; they're leaving it to their other offices to decide if it'll sell there because they don't know. NOJ doesn't decide if it's okay to have it in Europe, but not America or maybe Australia and not South Africa. That's because that's the shit they let their divisions worry about while they worry about their own country and things of a much more higher priority like developing their hardware and software.

If NOA said "We aren't going to release Skyward Sword or the next Mario game in America", NOJ would almost certainly overrule them. Don't you agree?

Sorry, but you need to come up with a better argument. That's next to impossible because NOA already knows that Mario and Zelda are high selling franchises. You're using a hypothetical situation that has zero chance of ever happening.

Your argument appears to be:

"NOJ doesn't get involved with what games are released in other regions"

My example was to show that NOJ CAN get involved and since they can, they should in cases like this where public outrage is becoming severe. If they refuse to get involved then they are just as much to blame as NOA.

It doesn't matter though, I don't really care who YOU blame, I know that both NOA and NOJ are responsible for those games not being released here.

And your argument appears to be:
"NOJ should get involved because I said so"

Your example doesn't show anything, except naivety in how things work. Your reason to blame and believe that this is the fault of the whole damn company is because of some naive idea that NOJ should be in charge of something that they hired a division to do for them which makes about as much sense as the heads of the company getting involved with Nintendo of Europe's marketing or voice acting efforts.

 

[Epona]

I like it that for once, someone criticized a subsidiary rather than the broad company. I hate it when people blame Nintendo for something that only their subsidiaries are responsible for. Nintendo of Europe is responsible for European localization, NOA for American, etc., etc. So if a game isn't localized, like Mother 3, that's not Nintendo's fault but their subsidiaries whose decision it is to localize and publish them.

So if I run a company with separate branches and one of the branches make a very bad decision, should I just say "Oh well, not my problem"?

Nintendo of Japan can overrule Nintendo of America and if it doesn't, then it is as much to blame as NOA is. You think Reggie got his job without the approval of Nintendo of Japan?

No, if I run a company with separate branches, I'd expect them to do their job while I do mine. Much like the developers expect publishers and marketers to do their jobs.

Yes but when one branch doesn't do it's job, would you sit on your hands or would you (as the head of the company) make changes?

Nintendo of Japan has the last word so a bad decision make by NOA but not reversed by NOJ still falls on both of their shoulders, not just NOA.

Obviously, that depends. If it was the internal teams developing games not doing their jobs, certainly so but this is localization; they're leaving it to their other offices to decide if it'll sell there because they don't know. NOJ doesn't decide if it's okay to have it in Europe, but not America or maybe Australia and not South Africa. That's because that's the shit they let their divisions worry about while they worry about their own country and things of a much more higher priority like developing their hardware and software.

If NOA said "We aren't going to release Skyward Sword or the next Mario game in America", NOJ would almost certainly overrule them. Don't you agree?

Sorry, but you need to come up with a better argument. That's next to impossible because NOA already knows that Mario and Zelda are high selling franchises. You're using a hypothetical situation that has zero chance of ever happening.

Your argument appears to be:

"NOJ doesn't get involved with what games are released in other regions"

My example was to show that NOJ CAN get involved and since they can, they should in cases like this where public outrage is becoming severe. If they refuse to get involved then they are just as much to blame as NOA.

It doesn't matter though, I don't really care who YOU blame, I know that both NOA and NOJ are responsible for those games not being released here.

And your argument appears to be:
"NOJ should get involved because I said so"

Your example doesn't show anything, except naivety in how things work. Your reason to blame and believe that this is the fault of the whole damn company is because of some naive idea that NOJ should be in charge of something that they hired a division to do for them which makes about as much sense as the heads of the company getting involved with Nintendo of Europe's marketing or voice acting efforts.

Yes, I expect the head of a company to oversee it's branches and get involved with decisions when needed.

Your problem is that you are treating NOA as a separate company instead of a branch of a company. NOA makes it's own decisions but they are all subject to approval for NOJ. Do you dispute this?

I am done here, if you want to go on pretending NOA is a separate company, go ahead, I am not going to waste anymore time on you.

 

[I forgot]

I like it that for once, someone criticized a subsidiary rather than the broad company. I hate it when people blame Nintendo for something that only their subsidiaries are responsible for. Nintendo of Europe is responsible for European localization, NOA for American, etc., etc. So if a game isn't localized, like Mother 3, that's not Nintendo's fault but their subsidiaries whose decision it is to localize and publish them.

So if I run a company with separate branches and one of the branches make a very bad decision, should I just say "Oh well, not my problem"?

Nintendo of Japan can overrule Nintendo of America and if it doesn't, then it is as much to blame as NOA is. You think Reggie got his job without the approval of Nintendo of Japan?

No, if I run a company with separate branches, I'd expect them to do their job while I do mine. Much like the developers expect publishers and marketers to do their jobs.

Yes but when one branch doesn't do it's job, would you sit on your hands or would you (as the head of the company) make changes?

Nintendo of Japan has the last word so a bad decision make by NOA but not reversed by NOJ still falls on both of their shoulders, not just NOA.

Obviously, that depends. If it was the internal teams developing games not doing their jobs, certainly so but this is localization; they're leaving it to their other offices to decide if it'll sell there because they don't know. NOJ doesn't decide if it's okay to have it in Europe, but not America or maybe Australia and not South Africa. That's because that's the shit they let their divisions worry about while they worry about their own country and things of a much more higher priority like developing their hardware and software.

If NOA said "We aren't going to release Skyward Sword or the next Mario game in America", NOJ would almost certainly overrule them. Don't you agree?

Sorry, but you need to come up with a better argument. That's next to impossible because NOA already knows that Mario and Zelda are high selling franchises. You're using a hypothetical situation that has zero chance of ever happening.

Your argument appears to be:

"NOJ doesn't get involved with what games are released in other regions"

My example was to show that NOJ CAN get involved and since they can, they should in cases like this where public outrage is becoming severe. If they refuse to get involved then they are just as much to blame as NOA.

It doesn't matter though, I don't really care who YOU blame, I know that both NOA and NOJ are responsible for those games not being released here.

And your argument appears to be:
"NOJ should get involved because I said so"

Your example doesn't show anything, except naivety in how things work. Your reason to blame and believe that this is the fault of the whole damn company is because of some naive idea that NOJ should be in charge of something that they hired a division to do for them which makes about as much sense as the heads of the company getting involved with Nintendo of Europe's marketing or voice acting efforts.

Yes, I expect the head of a company to oversee it's branches and get involved with decisions when needed.

Your problem is that you are treating NOA as a separate company instead of a branch of a company. NOA makes it's own decisions but they are all subject to approval for NOJ. Do you dispute this?

I am done here, if you want to go on pretending NOA is a separate company, go ahead, I am not going to waste anymore time on you.

Typical wimp-out response and really, I'm done with you. You provide no arguments whatsoever and the only ones you do are strawmen.

 

[Swifteye]

Is it me or does this operation rainfall seem to be a sobering situation for some people? I suppose it's because nintendo tries really hard to come off loving and wholesome in public but they are about as faceless and corporate as all the other companies. They've more or less always had a questionable practice or somewhat mean spirited edge to them when it comes to there business.

People are all like "This is the last straw Nintendo! no more fun times with me!" it's really silly in just how much the thought process lacks perspective and retrospect.

 

[Uriel_51]

I completely agree. I've had my eye on The Last Story for years now. If they released in the US, I'd finally have a real RPG to play that's a true spiritual successor to the old school JRPG. I've played the hell out of Lost Odyssey, this gen's JRPG that Squeenix wishes to hell they could produce. I was hoping Sakaguchi and his Mistwalker studio could bring me that magic again. Sad to hear that it's Nintendo who's cock-blocking me :/

 

[TokenRupee]

I honestly forgive the slow and rocky start of the show. I am officially sold.

My thoughts exactly. I'll probably check this show out more often now.

 

[ManInRed]

No Xenoblade in North America? After to out selling Mario Galexy 2 in Japan? After it was announce to be called Xenoblade in the English version? After it had been localize? After 2 years of delays of a North American release, reassurance that it would happen this year, and being given a European release date? Now, after all that.. it comes to this?

I honestly don't believe it. I mean, I've seen companies do stupid things before, sure, but this, it's just crazy. I want to invent some conspiracy to give this move some logical reason. Maybe I'm still going through the 5 stages of grief.

It's much easier for me to believe the announcement was a complete mistake. Yes, that's stupidity I can believe. Maybe not all of the 3 games listed are going to be released in the US, maybe Xenoblade the only one we'll see. Yes, this is nothing more than a gaff. Sure, they are still too incompetent to correct it, but that's incompetents I can accept. Heck, maybe Xenoblade will be released without any correction. Still would be smarter than to refuse to sell a game ready to be sold to the biggest market that has been demanding it.

I just don't have the right words to say about this. So I suppose I'll let Margulis end this with the most cheerful quote I can muster in response to this topic:

"Behold the light that spreads before your eyes. This light once symbolized civilization, the very will of the human race. But what can be gleam by the light we see today? The people of this world have cast away their will to create, drowning themselves instead in an endless light of consumption. What you see now is the deceitful light cast by their stagnant eyes. The people you encounter in your life time are not people at all. They are less then human, mere sacks of flesh and bone. Only upon the realization of self will can a person truly be called a man. You choose to reject the false light, refused to succumb to their lies, that's why you never faltered."

 

[Kenji_03]

Alright Jim, you've done it. I'mma say it "Thank GOD, for Jim Sterling". This was a great video, with a serious point, and one where the Ad Hominem was the entire video.

Not that it matters, but I now consider you a welcome member of my weekly viewing regiment.

 

[Mooshi-Q]

Did he say 'clit giraffe'?

 

[veloper]

I like it that for once, someone criticized a subsidiary rather than the broad company. I hate it when people blame Nintendo for something that only their subsidiaries are responsible for. Nintendo of Europe is responsible for European localization, NOA for American, etc., etc. So if a game isn't localized, like Mother 3, that's not Nintendo's fault but their subsidiaries whose decision it is to localize and publish them.

So if I run a company with separate branches and one of the branches make a very bad decision, should I just say "Oh well, not my problem"?

Nintendo of Japan can overrule Nintendo of America and if it doesn't, then it is as much to blame as NOA is. You think Reggie got his job without the approval of Nintendo of Japan?

No, if I run a company with separate branches, I'd expect them to do their job while I do mine. Much like the developers expect publishers and marketers to do their jobs.

Yes but when one branch doesn't do it's job, would you sit on your hands or would you (as the head of the company) make changes?

Nintendo of Japan has the last word so a bad decision make by NOA but not reversed by NOJ still falls on both of their shoulders, not just NOA.

Obviously, that depends. If it was the internal teams developing games not doing their jobs, certainly so but this is localization; they're leaving it to their other offices to decide if it'll sell there because they don't know. NOJ doesn't decide if it's okay to have it in Europe, but not America or maybe Australia and not South Africa. That's because that's the shit they let their divisions worry about while they worry about their own country and things of a much more higher priority like developing their hardware and software.

If NOA said "We aren't going to release Skyward Sword or the next Mario game in America", NOJ would almost certainly overrule them. Don't you agree?

Sorry, but you need to come up with a better argument. That's next to impossible because NOA already knows that Mario and Zelda are high selling franchises. You're using a hypothetical situation that has zero chance of ever happening.

Your argument appears to be:

"NOJ doesn't get involved with what games are released in other regions"

My example was to show that NOJ CAN get involved and since they can, they should in cases like this where public outrage is becoming severe. If they refuse to get involved then they are just as much to blame as NOA.

It doesn't matter though, I don't really care who YOU blame, I know that both NOA and NOJ are responsible for those games not being released here.

And your argument appears to be:
"NOJ should get involved because I said so"

Your example doesn't show anything, except naivety in how things work. Your reason to blame and believe that this is the fault of the whole damn company is because of some naive idea that NOJ should be in charge of something that they hired a division to do for them which makes about as much sense as the heads of the company getting involved with Nintendo of Europe's marketing or voice acting efforts.

Yes, I expect the head of a company to oversee it's branches and get involved with decisions when needed.

Your problem is that you are treating NOA as a separate company instead of a branch of a company. NOA makes it's own decisions but they are all subject to approval for NOJ. Do you dispute this?

I am done here, if you want to go on pretending NOA is a separate company, go ahead, I am not going to waste anymore time on you.

Typical wimp-out response and really, I'm done with you. You provide no arguments whatsoever and the only ones you do are strawmen.

"No, it's not Nintendo! It's just Nintendo of America. Booeey!"

Haha. Let's continue from there:
No, it's not NOA! It's only one division within NoA!
No! It's just some unnamed executives working there!


All Pointless distinctions, because we're outsiders. Just blame the parent company for anything. It's short. It's neat. It's where the ultimate responsibility lies anyways.

 

[GodEmperorOfGarhalla]

I concur with jim on this one. I want to play pandora's Tower the most though. the use of a chain weapon in the clips looked very unique and creavtive for combat and Platforming.

 

[MB202]

Oh, so THAT'S what Project Rainfall is... Well, nice to see people genuinely passionate about it, but I doubt it will do any good.

After all, if Nintendo of America never published Mother 3 in America and completely IGNORED the thousands upon thoughts (if not over a million EarthBound fans, then what are the odds of Operation Rainfall working?

 

[hippobu]

Oh, come on, Nintendo of America was a lot worst in the 90s.

 

[Therumancer]

Well, Jim probably knows more about these titles than I do (just now getting around to watching this one) however I'd wonder if part of the issue might have something to do with the content of the games... you know the constant spectre of American censorship and sex.

Not to mention the whole Supreme Court case about game censorship that just ended, I can see how a company like Nintendo might have not wanted to risk releasing games that it was afraid were going to be banned, or open them to potential lawsuits, immediatly after release.

Likewise, US sales are strong still, but the US is in decline, while Europe and other countries are expanding markets. It's also possible that Nintendo is slowly trying to withdraw from the American market so it will already be out, and present somewhere else as it's major focus, in sync to the changing markets.

All these thoughts occur to me as far as what they might be thinking... of course none of that really justifies their desicians in the final equasion.

Also this *IS* Nintendo, and truthfully it's always seemed to be lacking in the common sense department, right up there with Sony.

 

[lozfoe444]

I heard the argument that Nintendo of America doesn't want to look weird and that these games would be bad for its image.
To that I say this: No More Heroes.
It's so weird. I look at Nintendo of Japan and Miyamoto, and I see people who love games and love people who play games.
And yet Nintendo of America doesn't seem to like games or gamers at all.

 

[I forgot]

I like it that for once, someone criticized a subsidiary rather than the broad company. I hate it when people blame Nintendo for something that only their subsidiaries are responsible for. Nintendo of Europe is responsible for European localization, NOA for American, etc., etc. So if a game isn't localized, like Mother 3, that's not Nintendo's fault but their subsidiaries whose decision it is to localize and publish them.

So if I run a company with separate branches and one of the branches make a very bad decision, should I just say "Oh well, not my problem"?

Nintendo of Japan can overrule Nintendo of America and if it doesn't, then it is as much to blame as NOA is. You think Reggie got his job without the approval of Nintendo of Japan?

No, if I run a company with separate branches, I'd expect them to do their job while I do mine. Much like the developers expect publishers and marketers to do their jobs.

Yes but when one branch doesn't do it's job, would you sit on your hands or would you (as the head of the company) make changes?

Nintendo of Japan has the last word so a bad decision make by NOA but not reversed by NOJ still falls on both of their shoulders, not just NOA.

Obviously, that depends. If it was the internal teams developing games not doing their jobs, certainly so but this is localization; they're leaving it to their other offices to decide if it'll sell there because they don't know. NOJ doesn't decide if it's okay to have it in Europe, but not America or maybe Australia and not South Africa. That's because that's the shit they let their divisions worry about while they worry about their own country and things of a much more higher priority like developing their hardware and software.

If NOA said "We aren't going to release Skyward Sword or the next Mario game in America", NOJ would almost certainly overrule them. Don't you agree?

Sorry, but you need to come up with a better argument. That's next to impossible because NOA already knows that Mario and Zelda are high selling franchises. You're using a hypothetical situation that has zero chance of ever happening.

Your argument appears to be:

"NOJ doesn't get involved with what games are released in other regions"

My example was to show that NOJ CAN get involved and since they can, they should in cases like this where public outrage is becoming severe. If they refuse to get involved then they are just as much to blame as NOA.

It doesn't matter though, I don't really care who YOU blame, I know that both NOA and NOJ are responsible for those games not being released here.

And your argument appears to be:
"NOJ should get involved because I said so"

Your example doesn't show anything, except naivety in how things work. Your reason to blame and believe that this is the fault of the whole damn company is because of some naive idea that NOJ should be in charge of something that they hired a division to do for them which makes about as much sense as the heads of the company getting involved with Nintendo of Europe's marketing or voice acting efforts.

Yes, I expect the head of a company to oversee it's branches and get involved with decisions when needed.

Your problem is that you are treating NOA as a separate company instead of a branch of a company. NOA makes it's own decisions but they are all subject to approval for NOJ. Do you dispute this?

I am done here, if you want to go on pretending NOA is a separate company, go ahead, I am not going to waste anymore time on you.

Typical wimp-out response and really, I'm done with you. You provide no arguments whatsoever and the only ones you do are strawmen.

"No, it's not Nintendo! It's just Nintendo of America. Booeey!"

Haha. Let's continue from there:
No, it's not NOA! It's only one division within NoA!
No! It's just some unnamed executives working there!


All Pointless distinctions, because we're outsiders. Just blame the parent company for anything. It's short. It's neat. It's where the ultimate responsibility lies anyways.

It's sad that that's how most people think despite that it isn't just pointless distinction.

 

[Cat Cloud]

I completely agree. I've been waiting for those games forever. I'm done with Nindendo and their crap.

 

[Jeremy Meadows]

Why bring games over that true and orginal gamers want when they can just pander and whore themselfs out to every thrid party developer to make a shit ton of licence games like dora for the wii instead and still get money from the "family gamers" they were aiming for? They still get money either way.

Nintendo has proven over these years that pleasing gamers isn't as profitable as pandering to the ignorent parents of childern with a wii. The kids don't know what they want and the parents arent' educated enough on what makes a good game. I hate it, it's pathetic, and proves what's wrong with current generations of gamers, but it's still smart money making sadly.

 

[Adultism]

This is why I love Atlas, Persona is a great series, better than anything that Nintendo could make.

 

[Uber Waddles]

You're talking about comparing the sales of games in Japan and Europe go up against America's sales? Without taking into consideration the gross gaming populations of each?

And you're complaining they don't just take the English translation of one game and put it here in English?

Do you have any idea what processes go into games localization Jim?

Population has nothing to do with it. Numbers of units sold does.

If a game sells a total of 1 million units, it doesnt matter where those three million units were sold.

And while it is true that it requires money to localize a game, the ammount of money and time it takes to localize a game is pretty insignificant - the mechanics, engine, etc. are all there. They just have to print the disk in a different format, get new voice actors, and translate languages.

Or, in the case of Nintendo of Europe, who already has Xenoblade already localize, basically nothing. Not to mention, REMAKES SELL IN JAPAN. Reselling the game, localized in English, with Japanese text sells. BIG TIME. Sony does this ALOT. Add in a few extras, and ship.

Point is, unless you have a total flop of a game, you will make back the money you spent localizing, and then some. Not to mention that, while the other 2 consoles and the PC are pumping out game after game, Nintendo has had very little to show in the way of third party or first party software.